Like Terry Fox, one of Rick’s inspirations and heroes, Rick was born in British Columbia.

Rick’s Man in Motion World Tour took 26 grueling months. It covered over 34 countries, through four continents, and involved over 40,000 km. It raised world-wide awareness for spinal cord research, plus over $26 million dollars.

Amanda Reid-Hansen was Rick’s physiotherapist. Together, they have three daughters, and currently live in British Columbia.

The song St. Elmo’s Fire was inspired by and written for Rick by another famous Canadian: record producer and song composer David Foster.

Rick has won over 19 international wheelchair marathons, and several Paralympic medals, including three Gold.

The Rick Hansen Foundation was created by Rick to help find a cure for spinal cord injuries. Later on, he founded the Rick Hansen Institute.

Numerous awards have been given to Rick, including the Companion of the Order of Canada, and being inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Like so many people ‘in the news’, Rick is no stranger to controversy. In 2013 columnist David Baines from the Vancouver Sun published an in-depth review of Mr. Hansen’s finances, including the salary Rick drew from his own company.